SEQUOIA HOSPITAL RECEIVES 2011 GET WITH THE GUIDELINES STROKE GOLD PLUS QUALITY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Award demonstrates Sequoia Hospital’s commitment to quality care for stroke patients
Redwood City, CA- November 2, 2011 – Sequoia Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s 2011 Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes Sequoia Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing excellent care for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines. In addition, Sequoia has been named to the Target Stroke Honor Roll. This award recognizes having door-to needle time of 60 minutes or less for at least 50 percent of patients eligible for the “clot-busting” medication tPA.
“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost,” said Glenna Vaskelis, Hospital President and CEO. “The Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award demonstrates that our staff is committed to providing care that has been shown in the scientific literature to quickly and efficiently treat stroke patients with evidence-based protocols.”
“The success of the stroke program is due to the dedication of Sequoia physicians spanning multiple specialties, as well as a multitude of support staff,” said Mark Saleh, MD, Medical Director of Stroke Services at Sequoia Hospital. “Linda Cadelago, RN, FNP, Sequoia Hospital’s Stroke Services Coordinator, should especially be commended for her oversight and commitment to patient care.”
To receive the award, Sequoia achieved 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals and achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care.
These measures include evidence-based use of medications, such as tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs and smoking cessation, all aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients.
“We’re honored to be recipients of the Gold Plus Quality award and to be named to the Target Stroke Honor Roll. We have worked hard to refine our practices and reduce the time-to-diagnosis and treatment”said Linda Cadelago, RN, FNP, and Sequoia Hospital’s Stroke Services Coordinator.
Cadelago has produced customized patient education materials that are made available at the point of discharge, based on patients’ individual risk profiles. The take-away materials are written in an easy-to-understand format. For non English speaking patients, Cadelago also gives stroke warning sign cards in several languages.
Get With The Guidelines Stroke and Sequoia Hospital use the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they are most likely to listen to and follow their healthcare professionals’ guidance. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is one of the leading causes of death and serious, long-term disability in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
About Sequoia Hospital
Sequoia Hospital is an accredited, not-for-profit community hospital providing innovative and exceptional healthcare for generations of Bay Area residents. Sequoia Hospital is rebuilding a state-of-the-art medical campus including a new four-story 148,000 sq. ft. pavilion, modernized emergency services and three floors of larger, private patient rooms. With a nationwide reputation for pioneering advanced cardiac care, Sequoia’s Heart and Vascular Institute is designated as a 2011 Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California. Sequoia also excels in the areas of stroke care, emergency services, and birth center services. Voted “A Family Favorite 2011 Best Birth Center and Best Hospital” by readers of Bay Area Parent magazine, Sequoia ranks in the top percentile of U.S. hospitals for patient satisfaction and is a leader in quality and safety initiatives.
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About Get With The Guidelines
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that empowers healthcare teams to save lives and reduce healthcare costs by helping hospitals follow evidence-based guidelines and recommendations. For more information, visit heart.org/quality.
